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Staff Favorites

If you’re going to have Robert Parker or Stephen Tanzer over for dinner, selecting a wine they’ve rated highly will be a nice choice. However, when you’re buying wines for yourself, we’d love to see you find wines that match up your unique palate and pocketbook. We have a large staff of friendly and knowledgeable wine professionals that taste hundreds of wines each week. They can put you in touch with bottles that you are likely to love, often at a much lower cost than the highly-rated gems that often see a run-up in price and frequent availability issues. Like any great group of opinionated professionals, our staff has varied tastes themselves. Often our customers will find a particular staff member with a style that corresponds to their own. That concept works extremely well in our retail stores, and this section is our effort to bring you the same online. Don’t get us wrong, we love the highly rated wines from the press and will continue to offer them, but we think you’re missing out if you’re not augmenting those selections with picks from our excellent staff. Here are their favorites. (Click on a name to see their other selections - or to drop them a line.) Cheers!

Reviews

A classic bottle of Provence Rose from one of the region's best producers is a steal at under $20. Truly reflective of its terroir and varietal composition, the "Tentations" presents pretty floral aromatics up front that persist on the palate along with dried cranberries, nectarine, and stony minerality. The refreshing acidity is laced in with very fine integration and structure, making for perhaps the perfect Rose of the summer. Enjoy with everything from barbecue chicken to the finest of French cheeses.

Beautifully perfumed and nicely sweet, this Feinherb from Weiser-Kunstler is just a touch effervescent and extraordinarily lively. The bright acid belies the sweetness and the two seem to come and go independently making for a fascinating and delightful drinking experience. Low in alcohol and high in refreshment, this wine is perfect as an aperitif or to round out your next spicy meal needing a touch of sweetness and acid to cut the heat.

Who knew?...Mt. Veeder fruit with this quality, at this price?! This team in the Santa Cruz Mtn. AVA sources this delicious fruit, and offer us all a brilliantly made wine. At 12.3 % ABV, this is not a heavy bomb per say but a well made, balanced wine. With the present fruit, leaves, a little earth and dirt, the acidity is on point, it ends with a great finish on the palate with it's streamlined tannin structure. This is a whole lot of wine at this price-maybe even one of the best deals in the store right now for a Napa Cab. Enjoy once and you'll want more and more!

The Faust 2012 Cab from the Coombsville and Rutherford AVA's is drinking very well right now. The makers of Quintessa sure do offer us Cabernet lovers a more approachably priced and made wine to either enjoy now or cellar for up to ten years with ease. Dark crimson to fire engine siren red (in the sun) in color, with cedar planks and wood chips on the nose with all that fresh blackberry. It has all those lush dark berries and cassis. With tobacco leaves and a bit of green bell pepper at times. The tannin structure was present, but well integrated considering the wood influence the wine goes through. The finish was mouth watering- I wanted another and another.

Pascual Toso's estate was one of the more picturesque properties I saw while visiting Mendoza in early 2012. Luckily, the quality of the wine is able to match the beautiful aesthetic of the landscape, and at a super-affordable price point. Dark, plumy fruit gains richness from the gentle oak spice, warm cocoa, and vanilla tones, while the acidity helps avoid a sappiness common to many inferior Malbecs. This will stand up to your rib-eye perfectly, but with its velvety mouthfeel and sweet tannins, it is also perfect on its own for your after-work wind-down.

I've been drinking this value-priced stunner consistently for the last 8 vintages or so. It is one of the most reliable and affordable bottles I've come across in my ten years in the wine business, showing a deep, rich fruit profile supported by spice and a hearty structure. This is extremely versatile with food, but also an impossibly easy sipper on its own.

Holy Smokes! For 10 bucks, this wine over delivers in a major way. The Antinori family didn’t miss a beat when they picked up this Puglia property in 1998. Considering it one of Italy’s most promising regions, they chose to showcase the area’s traditional Negroamaro grape and blend it with Primativo and Cabernet to bring us an outstanding wine for an unbelievable price.
The power of this wine is immediately apparent. Before you even lift your glass the powerful scent of crushed blueberries and plums rises to meet you. Beautiful notes of cola, cassis, and chocolate give way to a fine ripe cherry finish. The finish doesn’t linger around for long, but if you miss it, you can always try again. It is only $8.99 after all.

This is one of our top Sancerre and upon tasting the reason becomes abundantly evident. This 100% Sav Blanc that we import directly is perfectly balanced and delightfully drinkable. The body is round and and clean with hints of lemon and melon. Acid drives the wine forward without ever overwhelming the pallet finishing dry and delectable. This Sancerre is light enough for the afternoon, weighty enough for dinner, and tasty enough for the close of day.

More and more I appreciate New Zealand Pinot Noir and this one is one of the best. Ripe berry immediately captures the pallet with tastes of cherry and raspberry. The body holds wonderful weight and just the right amount of light woody ending. Everything about this Pinot works and the finish leaves you wanting more.

My first experience with a Txakolina Rose and I am a huge fan. Light and crisp with fantastic minerality and a little effervescence make this rose perfect for long summer afternoons. There exists a lovely elegance to this wine and an almost floral finish. I have read that this Txakolina is consumed like water where this is from and I can readily believe it. I find myself looking for more reasons to have people over so I can bring home a couple bottles of this.

Possibly one of the best rosés I have tasted, and definitely the most interesting, this easy drinking wine is a new favorite: crisp and clean with a surprising structure. I was struck by the hints of early stone fruit that give this rose a surprising weight. Perhaps my favorite part of this wine though was a saline core that causes the wine to finish cleanly and smoothly. Although the wine is very light it has enough depth to make it desirable in the afternoon and to continue as the light fades.

Before moving to the Bar Area and finding a wonderful home with K&L this Malbec was my go to red wine. Whatever I was making for dinner, whether or not company was coming over, it did not matter this wine was on hand. Wonderful hints of cherry and plum are balanced by the touches of cocoa and licorice. There is a perfect blend of dark fruit, spice, and soft tannins in this wine to make it go with practically everything. The best thing about this wine is how well it drinks, but the second best is the price you get it for. After you finish a bottle you do not feel guilty opening another.

This interesting Tibouren is a unique wine that still goes down easy. Herbal nose with fresh berry, almost cherry, notes and a beautiful deep ruby color. Szechuan and white pepper, some iron, and earthiness show up on the palate while still delivering beautiful fruit. Woodsy finish and medium body with tannins that sneak up on you. Get this beauty while you can.

One of the great values for Super Tuscan fans, comparable to more famous names costing many hundreds of dollars per bottle. If you are going to buy one vintage to add to the cellar this 2010 is it! A finely crafted Bordeaux blend that's built to age. Outstanding Cabernet character, ripe yet restrained, with formidable tannins. Needs another 5 years minimum but will more than repay any additional investment of time you care to make.

A perennial favorite here at K&L. I have enjoyed this traditional Chianti year after year. I am still enjoying the last few bottles of a case of the 2004 vintage, and recently purchased a case of the 2010 to lay down for a few years. This 2011 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva is a bit more "user friendly" as Guido would say. Those who prefer not to wait will love the extra ripeness the 2011 vintage has yielded. Soft & round, sweet & ripe, yet with the bright red fruits and spice notes one usually associates with this most traditional of Chiantis. Classic Sangiovese. Superb value.

I’m not scared to say it, and I have many times, out loud, to real people. I think the Varner Chardonnays are some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnays made in the United States. These wines are still way under the radar to most wine fans due to their small production, out of the way location-high in the hills above Portola Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and stylistic choices. But for all of us lucky enough to have tasted these wines vintage after vintage we can’t help but feel this way. The wines are just too good, with pinpoint precision, amazing complexity, and little “wine making” to get in the way of the amazing raw materials they put into each and every bottle they make.
My favorite of the bunch, and certainly a wine worth lying down, is the 2013 Home Block. This wine is not some much about its aromas or flavors, which are all certainly wonderful (chalk, granite, Asian pear, kumquat, saline) but about its intensity and tension. Structure is always hard to write about in wine, and rarely done in white wines, but this wine is all about its frame. The way its parts build on one another to create a wall of flavor, an experience of everything at once yet remaining streamlined and delineated. I’d love to taste this wine in 5, 10 and 15 years to see the life it lives.

I’m not scared to say it, and I have many times, out loud, to real people. I think the Varner Chardonnays are some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnays made in the United States. These wines are still way under the radar to most wine fans due to their small production, out of the way location-high in the hills above Portola Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and stylistic choices. But for all of us lucky enough to have tasted these wines vintage after vintage we can’t help but feel this way. The wines are just too good, with pinpoint precision, amazing complexity, and little “wine making” to get in the way of the amazing raw materials they put into each and every bottle they make. So what does that have to do with Neely you may ask? Well the Neely Chardonnays are from the same blocks, the same finished wines actually, but instead of single block expressions you get the sum of the amazing parts by blending them together.
The 2013 “Holly’s Cuvee” is a wild wine, one where you can see the personality of the single blocks but you get to experience them transforming into something entirely new. The honeyed nose of Bee Block is wildly apparent on the nose but it also has the subtle nuttiness of Amphitheater. Linear and streamlined like the Home Block on the palate this is brisk and full of mouthwatering acid and tons of exotic citrus tones. It is a wine that encapsulates all that is this property, these people and the greatness of these wines. Sadly we get the least of this comparatively speaking. But that’s ok, a little will go a long way here.

I’m not scared to say it, and I have many times, out loud, to real people. I think the Varner Chardonnays are some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnays made in the United States. These wines are still way under the radar to most wine fans due to their small production, out of the way location-high in the hills above Portola Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and stylistic choices. But for all of us lucky enough to have tasted these wines vintage after vintage we can’t help but feel this way. The wines are just too good, with pinpoint precision, amazing complexity, and little “wine making” to get in the way of the amazing raw materials they put into each and every bottle they make.
The 2013 “Bee Block,” long the favorite block of most of our local customers, is Bee Block at its finest. I don’t know if it is the suggestion of the name, or if the name came from the suggestion, but there is always a honeyed quality to this wine. Never sweet of course but more of an exotic, spiced, ripeness that the other blocks just don’t have. Build on top of that aromas of anise seed/fennel, jasmine blossoms, talc and a delicate marzipan note and this is one aromatic wine. The heftiest of the bunch this has layers of rich flavors like crème brulee, peach pit, egg custard and apricot however it never feels flat or blousy. It’s quite the contrary one the finish full of Meyer lemon, wet stone and fresh alfalfa rolls around. But never does that honey quality subside and I’m glad it doesn’t, it’s the true tell of this stunning wine.

Here's a new super-value favorite! I love luxury on the cheap, and this is exactly what Rudy is -- totally affordable, but displaying moments of grandeur. Sourced from Paicines AVA next to the Gabilan Mountain range, this fruit benefits from the cool winds coming of the Monterey Valley. Rudy is richly aromatic and exudes the scent of pepper and fresh boysenberries. Showing layers of luscious, succulent, bright ripe black cherry/ raspberry fruit and allspice, this pinot packs a punch with fine tannins and a lengthy finish. Delicious stuff!

I’m not scared to say it, and I have many times, out loud, to real people. I think the Varner Chardonnays are some of the best, if not the best, Chardonnays made in the United States. These wines are still way under the radar to most wine fans due to their small production, out of the way location-high in the hills above Portola Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and stylistic choices. But for all of us lucky enough to have tasted these wines vintage after vintage we can’t help but feel this way. The wines are just too good, with pinpoint precision, amazing complexity, and little “wine making” to get in the way of the amazing raw materials they put into each and every bottle they make.
The 2013 "Amphitheater Block” stunned me with how fleshed out it was. Typically the Amphitheater is always the most strict, linear, mineral driven wine under the Varner label. However this year there is a pleasing nutty generosity to the nose and a very deep set richness on the palate that just wasn’t there in previous vintages. (The Varner’s attest this to the vineyard block maturing rather than any changes in the cellar, of which there were none.) Cashew, almond skin, dried apple and nectarine mesh on the complex and intriguing nose. Bright and citrusy on entry with layers of mineral and earth over tangerine, pomelo and lemon pith this has a subtle creaminess and fleshes out with a pretty floral bitterness at its edges.

Lightly floral with hints of toasty oak. Crisp, clean and bright in expression. Citrus and stone fruit notes - lemon oil and peach pit. Delicious Chardonnay from one of the best of our direct imports. Superb value.

2010 Brunello for dinner tonight! You have been reading/hearing the hype about the vintage now try some guilt free. It showcases everything you would want from a Brunello, dark rich fruit, earth, spice and big ripe tannins. Yes you can, and maybe you should, put some in your cellar but it is so good now....

Weingut Buchegger makes dry, stainless steel aged Rieslings with a natural approach to farming their 10 hectares with no pesticides, herbicides or insecticides. Their Gebling Riesling shows aromas of chalk, wet stone and white flowers while the palate has flavors of nectarine and peach and a wonderful piquant and mouthwatering acidity.

The Renaud Macon wines are always some of the best value wines at K&L. For me the Solutre has always been my favorite, but over the last to vintages the Charnay has just shined. A little more fruit, a touch more texture, more zip and a slightly longer finish. Buy both, but if you can only have buy one, get the Charnay.

Domaine Les Poëte is a small winery with only 6 hectares spread throughout the central vineyards of Loire. The winemaker is a chef turned sommelier turned winemaker, making a Quincy that rivals the best of Sancerre. This bottle is stellar, it had all the staff here smitten. With aromas of smoke, baked apple pie and honeysuckle, and a palate of pear, nectarine, flint and mineral driven finish that just won’t quit. This should be your new go-to summer wine paired with fish, veggies or goat cheese.

The hatzidakis is 100% Assyrtiko and %100 awesome. It’s less citrus driven than some assyrtikos can be with notes of pear, nectarine, granny smith apples, almonds and chalky minerality. Try this with grilled whole fish, simply prepared.

Argyros Estate is a 4th generation family owned winery and they own some of the oldest vineyards on the island. This blend bursts with orange blossom, crushed stone, tangerine and white flowers. With zippy acidity and a fuller body, this wine can be drank on its own or with or with light fare.

This mtsvane has a beautiful orange hue due to skin contact and aromas of apple cider, walnuts and dried apricots with salinity and kumquat on the palate. Yes, this is an “orange wine” and it’s perfect for warm weather and deserves food, try it with mediterranean cuisine.

We are super lucky here at K&L...we get to taste / drink a ton of great booze. We sip Glen Ellen 30, single casks of Glenfarclas from the 60's and Johnnie's George V...but if I'm completely honest with you, several of the most impressive bottles I have tasted in my time at K&L have come from Arran. I don't know what it is about these whiskies but they just resonates with me. They seem to have such great concentration of flavor, richness, texture and length. The malts have freshness, spicy, honeyed yellow fruits, toasted grains, lovely sherry derived cake spices and rancio tones. It's rich, supple and satisfying but also refined and graceful. Pretty magic stuff at any price point, and at this price...crazy good. If you've skipped over Arran before for its more famous Islay neighbors, you should really give this a try.

The 2013 leads with a nose redolent of low key cherry fruit accented by earth, tar, and dark cocoa powder. The palate adds dried orange peel, pine, cranberry, strawberry-rhubarb, and cinnamon and other spices, with the earthy dimension expressing itself as baked clay. Throughout, the dusty fruit character is never over played. While the mid-palate has just a bit of heft to it, and the finish is supple and creamy, there is nothing approaching over-ripe here, and the oak keeps a low profile, which, at this price, makes this fully dimensional Pinot Noir a hard bargain to beat.

Attention all Chateauneuf-du-Pape lovers who are on a budget: here is a wine for you. This bold and lively Rhone blend has layers of crisp and crunchy dark fruit, a rich, smooth texture, balanced weight and a long, compelling finish. Here is a satisfying and delicious naturally crafted wine for less than twenty bucks. Easily the quality of a $40.00 bottle.

Aromas of wet rock, chalk dust, citrus fruit and lemon verbena jump from this as you swirl the glass. The juicy middle of limestone-infused, crushed pit fruit is palate cleansing and inviting where intense, mouthwatering minerality clamps down on the refreshing finish inviting sip after sip. This is super intense and just delicious.

This 100% organic Champagne is a knockout and would be a bargain at twice the price. A super expressive nose of wedding cake and buttered toast explodes from this sparkler and with air begins to hint at dark fruit. The mid-palate is rich, ripe and frothy showcasing more dark fruit and ends with mineral drive on the long, intense finish.

With the growing trend of modern-style wine in places like Brunello, I have difficulty finding wines that have all that old school earth while still maintaining fruit--it seems producers pick on one side or the other (earth or fruit). But the Fattoria dei Barbi has taken a clean Old World approach while maintaining balance and fruit. Aromas of sandalwood, leather and tar lead to a palate with a core of cherry and a hint of plum surrounded by tobacco, anise and cured meats. The tannins are well integrated and balanced with great acidity making this wine approachable to drink now but will certainly reward those who wait!

Geek Alert! What is Tibouren and why should you care? Basically it is an heirloom variety grown in Provence. It's not particularly easy to work with like Grenache and Syrah so many producers have shied away from using it. Our friends at Clos Cibonne have made amazing roses that are Tibouren based and are some of the most ageworthy in the region. They sell out quickly each year. For the second time ever, we have the Rouge and what a treat! It is loaded with notes of white and pink peppercorns. Brush floral notes and red fruit dominate the palate. There is a fresh tilled earthiness as well. Great acidity and more weight on the palate than you would expect. Really special wine for you adventuresome drinkers out there.

We just got more of this back in stock and man is this developing beautifully. The vintage is classically structured, showing a subtle
perfume of blackberries, figs and dried rose petals. The wine has fine tannins and is perfectly balanced. Another classic Rhone wine from our friends at Montfaucon!

I was looking for a Southern Italian wine to pair with penne arrabbiata for an al fresco dinner and this fit the bill perfectly. I'm not even going to specify summer dining since this beauty would be welcome any time of year. Light-bodied with complexity and fresh berry notes, Frappato stands up to spicy foods and strong cheeses but maintains an easy-going quality. Herbal and gorgeous slightly chilled, this dry red is interesting without overwhelming. A winner.

I can hardly believe this crisp, lemony beauty is under 20 bucks!
While the 2013 growing season in Burgundy suffered rough weather with less than ideal conditions, the whites endured, and the resulting smaller than usual yields show complexity with elegance. This Tremblay balances bracing minerality and great fruit - clean, aromatic Chablis at a bargain price.

3/4 of a bottle of rose in a can for this price? Are you bonkers? Nope! It's the latest thing- get on the bus! 3 glasses in this can make it the perfect thing to bring along to share with a friend on a picnic, hike, at the beach or the pool. Or, splash out and take one down yourself! Pretty strawberry, peach and watermelon with vibrant acidity and total drinkability. It's summer- enjoy it! But watch out- the staff might buy it all first!

Here's what I love about Miguel Merino- his wines are so incredibly balanced, well-crafted and drinkable, it's crazy that we can offer them at such outstanding prices. This 2008 "Vitola" is in a lovely spot- the wood is well-integrated, and the acidity vibrant and pleasing. Plush, ripe red cherry, Santa Rosa plum, hints of savory leather, and that signature Rioja minerality with fine, integrated tannin and medium plus acidity. Stock up for summer BBQs and in preparation for holiday entertaining! A Top Value for sure!

Oh yeah, lusicous, unxious, sexy Monbazillac. This is an excellent alternative to Sauternes at a fantastic price point. Notes of quince, lemon oil, and fig beam from the glass with a rich palate balanced with great acid. Try this with a strong blue cheese accompanied by fig jam or with savory dishes like foie gras.

Every year Banshee wines seem to get better and better. They continualy are getting more recognized, more popular, which means they are getting better picks and vineyard sources than they used to. The fruit quality in the 2013 is above and beyond what I've experienced in the past! Not only was 2013 an even better vintage than 2012 in Sonoma, the winemakers and vineyard managers all love the 13's for their elegance, power, and purity of fruit. Classic in color and flavor with medium dark purple/red tone and flavor that portrays sweet summer bing cherries, wild flowers, summer wild berry fields, quenching acidity, and an absolutely stunning texture that's silky and polished. This is California Pinot at its best!

Simply the best Provencal Rose I've tasted under $15 all year! Or for the past few years for that matter. This boutique producer we just started importing delivers everything you could want in a Provence Rose and more! Gorgeous light Salmon color, dry, crisp, mineral driven, subtle fruit undertones of grapefruit pitch, pomelo rind, even a touch of white nectar and strawberry seed. Super light and refreshing, perfect pool-side sipper for the long summer ahead! If your looking for a food pairing try it with a summer salad of prosciutto, melon, and burrata! Yum!

Absolutely my top favorite of all our Direct Import Burgundy producers because year after year, Domaine Renaud consistently over-delivers quality for the price! Which is hard to find in Burgundy, and if your a Burgundy connoisseur you already know this! The Saint Veran is the most seamless and elegant of the bunch, with a freshness about it that the Pouilly Fusse lacks because of its heavier use of oak. The Saint Veran is full of flavor but not new oak. Gorgeous texture and layers of stone fruit, zezsty minerality, and balanced acid that makes it perfect with food. It has the brightness of a Chablis but not the ultra tartness on the finish. It carries itself so elegantly you will fall in love, over and over again with every sip!

If you like Big, Massive, Layered, Textured, Sultry, Sexy, Volumous, Full-Bodied and Oaky Napa Cabernet's than the Amici is for you! This is a boutique Napa winery and one that always over delivers quality for price! I call it Caymus for half the price! Only the Amici has way better structure and longevity than Caymus does these days. Tons of Rich, dark, Napa fruit, and plenty of new French Oak that makes this wine scream..I need a steak! Absolutely stunning and you deserve every drop!

Whenever the Chateau Montfaucon Cotes du Rhone runs out there's always a mad dash to find a replacement and Keith hit the ball out of the park with this amazing Languedoc red! Loaded with tons of black cherry, dark chocolate and warm baking spices, this organic Southern French red is a true crowd pleaser!

Don’t tell anyone…but this is truly the best hidden value in the store. This little Saint-Veran from Southern Burgundy is a bargain hunters dream. The mid-palate fills out nicely with an elegant glycerol texture. Follow it up with a fresh tropical fruit finish, and you have a bargain white burgundy that stands it ground next to its heavy priced neighbors.